Tag: travel

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A curious tale of flag flying by an Edinburgh hotel!

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By stewartb For a little light relief on TuS from countering the gaslighting of Scotland, this is to pass on the tale of a curious vexillological journey being played out in public view in Edinburgh. It’s about the flying of flags – big, brand spanking new flags – in front of a well known hotel that is situated on a prominent site in the Bruntsfield area of the capital.  The curious thing is that the choice of flags by the hotel’s management – its choice of what to fly from two long flag poles – has changed no less than … Continue reading A curious tale of flag flying by an Edinburgh hotel!

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“Scotland is the place to be for para-gymnastics so here we are” 

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Professor John Robertson OBA Scotland is the place to be for para-gymnastics, so here we are,” says Kathryn Sinnott of Hertfordshire. Why? From STV last night: It is one of the most popular Olympic sports, but surprisingly, gymnastics is not part of the Paralympic programme. It wasn’t until last year that the gymnastics governing body, the FIG (Federation Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) ), recognised para-gymnastics as an official discipline within the sport. They have now set out ambitious plans for it to be included in time for the Brisbane Paralympic Games in 2032. One disability gymnastics team in Glasgow is … Continue reading “Scotland is the place to be for para-gymnastics so here we are” 

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Only tiny 2% of terror referrals are in Scotland because….

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Professor John Robertson OBA Children being referred to Prevent, the anti-terror scheme, naturally interests journalists. The National headlines responsibly and informatively but the SDM (Short for SaDoMasichism?) finds something titillating for its readers. Here’s something informative, to help the vulnerable and anxious elderly (older than me of course): So, quickly, 11 times the population, if Scotland was just as troubled by this as England & Wales, and they’d have 1 782 referrals but they had 8 778, MORE THAN FOUR times as many, 98% of the total. Sources: Why so few in Scotland? Some ideas I posted tentatively in 2019: … Continue reading Only tiny 2% of terror referrals are in Scotland because….

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Wealth Extraction – Another supposed supporter of independence works against it by denying colonialism and blaming the SNP

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Professor John Robertson OBA Like Wings and Craig Murray and Kevin McKenna, Robin McAlpine of Common Weal cannot get over the SNP leadership’s failure to recognise his supreme intelligence and usefulness to their policy development back in 2014. Still in the huff, he’s in the National today with the above and: If you support independence then I urge you to take a moment’s break from strategising about how to get a referendum (or whatever alternative plan you’re hatching) and take a look at a graph. It should be a rocket up our arse. It is time we took independence an … Continue reading Wealth Extraction – Another supposed supporter of independence works against it by denying colonialism and blaming the SNP

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UK Labour deny England’s under-22’s the ‘transformative benefit’ of Scotland’s free bus scheme as it hits more than 200 million journeys

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Thanks to Dottie for alerting me to this: From BBC Business two days ago: A proposed plan to trial free bus passes for under-22s in England will not go ahead as it is “unaffordable” at the moment, the government has said. The trial was one of a number of recommendations put forward by the Transport Committee, a cross-party group of backbench MPs,in a report this August – with the suggestion it would boost access to jobs and education. In its response, published on Friday, the government said no money was available for such a scheme during the current spending review period, which … Continue reading UK Labour deny England’s under-22’s the ‘transformative benefit’ of Scotland’s free bus scheme as it hits more than 200 million journeys

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Scottish Government’s one-year 26% increase in funding for affordable (70% social) housing is not dramatic enough to mention it seems

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political parties to commit to urgent housing justice ahead of next years Holyrood election. A joint manifesto from the Everyone Home group will be launched at Scotland’s Annual Homelessness conference, which begins in Pert today…….calling for a dramatic increase in social housing. Professor John Robertson OBA Not mentioned, in the above BBC Scotland broadcast today: The Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP) budget will increase by 26% in real terms to £768 million in 2025-26. This will support the delivery of at least 8,000 new affordable homes including for social rent, mid-market rent and low-cost home ownership. nor This will support … Continue reading Scottish Government’s one-year 26% increase in funding for affordable (70% social) housing is not dramatic enough to mention it seems

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Glasgow’s miles better and ‘Fast car Phil’ needs to learn from it

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Professor John Robertson OBA The Times on 23 October 2025, has the above. Before I respond to the ridiculous headline claim, who is Rodney? From the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland: Philip practised as a lawyer for more than 40 years, latterly as chair of Burness Paull. He also previously chaired the Senior Lawyers Committee of the International Bar Association and the board of governors of the Glasgow School of Art and was a governor of Hutchesons’ Educational Trust. Philip currently sits on the board of Dunedin Consort, as well as being a Senior Adviser to Saxton Bampfylde Ltd and has … Continue reading Glasgow’s miles better and ‘Fast car Phil’ needs to learn from it

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The case for developing a shipbuilding industry on the Clyde learning valuable skills from the two hybrids – as four cheap-build island ‘lifeline’, Turkey-built ferries are delayed again and again despite cheap and dangerous practice

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By Professor John Robertson OBA From the Scotsman in March 2025: A fleet of ferries being built in Turkey have been hit by a further setback, with their completion date pushed back by at least another three months due to labour shortages. The Isle of Islay – the first of four vessels being built at the Cemre Marin Endustri shipyard at Yalova – will now not be completed until at least June. The delay, which was blamed on the impact of “global geopolitical events”, was confirmed in a letter from Scottish Government ferry-buying firm Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (Cmal), sent to a key Scottish Parliament committee … Continue reading The case for developing a shipbuilding industry on the Clyde learning valuable skills from the two hybrids – as four cheap-build island ‘lifeline’, Turkey-built ferries are delayed again and again despite cheap and dangerous practice

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Health Secretary need not apologise over Glasgow drug room briefing

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Professor John Robertson OBA In the Herald today, the above and: Health Secretary Neil Gray is under pressure to apologise after an official briefing prepared for him included claims that residents in Glasgow’s East End have spread misinformation about the city’s drug consumption room. The internal paper — released under Freedom of Information laws to the Scottish Conservatives — was drawn up by Scottish Government officials ahead of Mr Gray’s appearance before the Westminster Scottish Affairs Committee in June, as part of its inquiry into “Problem Drug Use in Scotland” and the Thistle pilot facility in Calton. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/25566391.neil-gray-urged-apologise-glasgow-drug-room-briefing/ Who is urging the apology? You won’t be surprised: What … Continue reading Health Secretary need not apologise over Glasgow drug room briefing

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A ferry service funded by all of us to run even at only 20% capacity, cannot stand a 7% reduction in service without risking its ‘lifeline’ status? Bollards!

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Professor John Robertson OBA, Island Cycling Correspondent of the Year In the Herald today: Residents of Cumbrae have reacted to plans by state-owned operator CalMac which they say will “further damage fragile island communities”. The Cumbrae Ferry Committee, which represents residents in Millport – the only town on Cumbrae – say CalMac’s proposal to introduce scheduled maintenance windows during normal working hours of the Cumbrae ferry — either six hours each week or a full 24-hour period each month – would reduce vital lifeline services that the island depends on. CalMac‘s Largs to Cumbrae (pop 1 500) and back service, 52 crossings, peak, and 33 off peak, … Continue reading A ferry service funded by all of us to run even at only 20% capacity, cannot stand a 7% reduction in service without risking its ‘lifeline’ status? Bollards!